Can opener



C. D. TUCCORI May 1, 1951 CAN OPENER 2 Filed May 15, 1950 INVENTOR CHARLES D. TUCCORI @Mw/@yf 26 2 FIGS ATT'Y Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE CAN OPENER Charles D. Tuccori, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 15, 1950, Serial No. 162,086

(Cl. Sil-) 9 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved can opener. More specically this invention relates to a can opener having improved qualities of operation and durability of a type wherein a traction wheel is brought into engagement with a can lip or bead thereby cooperating with a knife blade for causing the end of a can to be cut out or opened.

A prime object of the invention is to provide a can opener having a reciprocating iblade for piercing and cutting the can lid, the opener including an improved construction for gripping the can during the rotation of said can by means of a traction wheel.

Still another object is to provide an improved reciprocating blade construction for a can opener the blade including a cutting edge, and a shoulder adjacent the cutting edge, the shoulder having spaced gripping projections adapted to .cooperate with a traction wheel for gripping the can bead of a can in a secure manner thereby eliminating slippage and rocking of the knife blade during the cutting operation.

A still further object is to provide a can opener with a reciprocating blade, said blade having an undercut gripping portion for engaging and` securely gripping and clamping a can edge or bead during the cutting operation.

Still another object is to provide an improved mechanism for positively reciprocating the knife blade of a can opener.

Another object is to provide an improved guide construction for the reciprocating blade of a can opener.

A still other object is to provide an improved clamping arrangement for clamping a knife blade unto the bead edge of a can opener in con nection with a traction wheel.

These and further objects inherent and encompassed within the invention will 'become more readily apparent from the ensuing description, the claims and the annexed drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view in elevation of a can opener.

Figure 2 is a side View in elevation of a can opener, showing the opener applied to a can during the operation of opening the can.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a cutting andy gripping mechanism of a can opener in working engagement with a can.

Figure 4 is a front view of a cutting blade and traction wheel in working engagement with a can taken substantially along the line lil-li of Figure 3.

vthe upper plate portion.

Figure 5 is a sectional View in elevation of a can opener, the view being taken substantially along the line 5 5 of Figure 2. showing a cam mechanism in a rotated position with a knife blade retracted.

Figure 6 is a detail View showing the underneath side or cutting edge of a can opener blade.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view of a can opener knife blade taken substantially along the line I-1 of Figure 5.

The can opener is generally designated by the reference character Iii. The opener IB consists of an upright frame II having an upper plate portion l2 and a lower plate portion I3. The lower plate portion I3 is provided with an opening I4 in which a stub shaft I5 is journalled. A traction wheel l5 having a plurality of teeth II about its periphery is rigidly connected to the shaft I5 for rotation therewith. The stub shaft I5 projects outwardly from the lower plate` portion I3 and is suitably connected to a turn or wing nut key i8 which may be rotated by the operator for imparting rotation to the shaft I5 and traction wheel IB. The lower end of said lower plate portion I3 is provided with a flange I9 which is adapted to engage the side of a can 20 as best shown in Figure 2.

A knife guide or plate 2i is connected to the upper plate portion I2 by means of a plurality of screws 22 which are suitably threaded into The plate 2'! is provided with an inner face 23 which has thereon upper and lower projections or spacers 24 and 25, laterally spaced in rectangular fashion to provide a longitudinally extending guideway 2B open at its upper and its lower ends, as best shown in Figure 5. Y

A knife :blade or member 2'? is positioned between the upper plate i2 and the guide plate 2|, the member 21 comprisingan elongated body 28 which has at its lower portion a cutting surface consisting of diverging cutting edges 2S. The blade 2l is undercut adjacent the cutting edges to provide a shoulder 3D disposed at a right angle with respect to the cutting edges 29. The shoulder 30 is provided with an arcuate recess 3| which separates a pair of projections or gripping members 32. The side of the blade 21 facing inwardly toward the shoulder 30 is of convex shape or curvature as indicated at 33 in Figure 6.

The knife blade 2l is arranged to reciprocate. within the guideway 25. An enlarged rectangular portion 34 is provided on the body 28 between its ends. The eplarged portion 34 is provided with an oval opening 35 provided with an inner camming surface 36. The blade 21 is reciprocated toward and away from a can 20 by means of a circular cam member 31 which is rigidly secured to a shaft 38 in an eccentric fashion. The cam member 31 is provided with a cam surface 33. which as best shown in Figure 5 may be rotated into engagement with the inner` camming surface 36 for moving the blade 21. A lever arm 4U is connected to the shaft 38 for rotating the shaft and the cam 31. The enlarged portion 34 is provided with upper oppositely disposed edges 4| and lower oppositely disposed edges 42 which may be moved respectively into engagement with the projections 24 and 25 for limiting the movement of the knife blade 21.

As best shown in Figures l through 4 the can opener I is applied to the can in a manner wherein the traction wheel engages the lower edge of a can bead 43 in frictional relation. The lever 40 is then rotated from the position shown in Figure 5 to the position shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, wherein the knife blade 21 is moved downwardly and the cutting edges 29 pierce a can top 44. The eccentrically positioned cam 31 moves from the right hand end of the opening 35 to the left hand end of the opening whereupon continued rotation of the lever 4U causes the cam to force the blade downwardly,

One of the significant features of the invention is that the gripping members or projections E2 are firmly clamped on top of the bead 43. Thus a secure support is afforded by the gripping members. The traction wheel and the two gripping members thus provide for three points of support and slippage is eliminated.

The recess separates the projections 32. These projections will prevent the opener from rocking and thus lose traction even though the opener may be used for many years. The projections are sufficiently prominent to maintain their gripping characteristic despite wear over long periods of time. The main difficulties with the present can openers in use has been that wear would soon result in slippage of the traction wheel and thus the opener would become useless. Applicants design will provide a secure gripping construction thus assuring positive traction by the wheel at all times.

The convex blade surface as shown at 33 permits the knife to follow the contour of the can thus assuring a clean cut. The novel sturdy cam construction assures rigid clamping support at all times and the knife is securely locked in a clamping and cutting position. Upward travel of the knife is effectively limited when the edges 4I engage the projections 24 and downward travel may also be limited, during non-use of the opener, when the edges 42 engage the projections 25. In operation and use, however, the edges 42 seldom engage the projections since the downward limit of movement of the blade 21 is determined by the bead 43 of the can.

It can thus be seen that an effective and novel can opener has been disclosed and described, the opener having specic novel features which result in an improved design.

The description and claims recite the words upper and lower, these terms being used in a relative sense and having reference to the position in which the opener is normally used. They are not intended as limitations but merely as terms of relative description.

It must be understood that changes may be made which do not depart from the spirit of the invention as disclosed and the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A can opener comprising an elongated frame having an upper plate portion and a lower plate portion, the lower plate portion extending angularly outwardly with respect to said frame, a. flange projecting from the lower portion, said flange being adapted to engage the side of a can, a toothed traction wheel journalled on the lower plate portion, manual turning means connected to said toothed traction wheel, -a knife guide member connected to the upper plate portion of the frame, upper and lower guide elements positioned between the guide members and the upper plate portion of the frame, said guide elements being laterally spaced and rectangularly disposed adjacent the edges of said guide member to provide a vertically extending guideway, a knife member disposed in said guideway for relative sliding movement, said knife member including an elongated body, a cutter element at the lower end of said body, diverging cutting edges on said cutter element, an undercut shoulder on said cutter element disposed adjacent the diverging cutting edges, said shoulder including a pair of individual transversely spaced gripping members adapted to be moved with the knife member into engagement with the upper edge of a can bead to provide spaced gripping points above said traction wheel, an enlarged portion on said elongated body of the knife member disposed between the upper and lower ends of said body, said enlarged portion having an oval shaped opening providing an inner camming edge on said knife member, a shaft extending through said opening, said shaft being journalled on said upper plate portion and on said knife guide member, a cam eccentrically positioned on said shaft for rotation therewith, manually operable lever means connected to said shaft for moving said cam into engagement with the camming edge for reciprocating said knife member, and oppositely disposed upper and lower edges on said enlarged portion for engaging the guide elements during reciprocation to limit movement of said knife member.

2. A can opener comprising an elongated frame having an upper plate portion and a lower plate portion, the lower plate portion extending angularly outwardly with respect to said frame, a flange projecting from the lower portion, said flange being adapted to engage the side of a can, a toothed traction wheel journalled on the lower plate portion, manual turning means connected to said toothed traction wheel, a knife guide me: ber connected to the upper plate portion of the frame, upper and lower guide elements positioned between the guide members and the upper plate portion of the frame, said guide elements being laterally spaced and rectangularly disposed adjacent the edges of said guide member to provide a vertically extending guideway, a knife member disposed in said guideway for relative sliding movement, said knife member including an elongated body, a cutter element at the lower end of said body, diverging cutting edges on said cutter element, an undercut shoulder on said cutter element disposed adjacent the diverging cutting edges, said shoulder including a pair of individual transversely spaced gripping members adapted to be moved with the knife member into engagement with the upper edge ci a can bead to provide spaced gripping points above said traction wheel, an enlarged portion on said elongated body of the knife member disposed between the upper and lower ends of said body, said enlarged portion having an oval shaped opening providing an inner camming edge on said knife member, a shaft extending through said opening, said shaft being journalled on said upper plate portion and on said knife guide member, a cam eccentrically positioned on said shaft for rotation therewith, manually operable lever means connected to said shaft for moving said cam into engagement with the camming edge for reciprocating said knife member, and stop means on said knife member engageable with guide elements during reciprocation to limit movement of said knife member.

3. A can opener comprising an elongated frame having an upper plate portion and a lower plate portion, a toothed traction wheel jcurnalled on the lower plate portion, manual turning means connected to said toothed traction wheel, a knife guide member connected to the upper plate portion of the frame, upper lower guide elements positioned between the guide member and the upper plate portion of the frame, said guide elements being spaced to provide a vertically eX- tending guideway, a knife member disposed in said guideway for relative sliding movement, said knife member including an elongated body, a cutter element at the lower end of said body, diverging cutting edges on said cutter element, an undercut shoulder on said cutter element disposed adjacent the diverging cutting edges, said shoulder including a pair of individual transversely spaced gripping members adapted to be moved with the knife member into engagement with the upper edge of a can bead to provide spaced gripping points above said traction wheel, an enlarged portion on said elongated body of the knife member disposed between the upper and lower ends of said body, said enlarged portion having an oval shaped opening providing an inner camming edge on said knife member, a shaft extending through said opening, said shaft being journalled -on said upper plate portion and on said knife guide member, a cam eccentrically positioned on said shaft for rotation therewith, manually operable lever means connected to said shaft for moving said cam into engagement with the camming edge for reciprocating said knife member, and stop means on said knife member engageable with guide elements during reciprocation to limit movement of said knife member.

4. A can opener comprising an elongated frame having an upper plate portion and a lower plate portion, a toothed traction wheel journalled on said lower plate portion, manual turning means connected to said lower plate portion, a knife guide member connected to the upper plate portion of the frame, said knife guide members including a guideway, a knife member disposed for reciprocation in said guideway, a cutting edge at the lower end of said knife member, an undercut shoulder on said knife member disposed adjacent the cutting edge, the shoulder having an upwardly extending recess to provide a pair of transversely spaced gripping projections adapted to be moved with said knife member, said gripping projections being arranged to grip the upper bead edge of a can simultaneously with the engagement of the bead by the traction wheel, and means for moving said knife member into engagement with a can.

5. A can opener as defined in claim 4 wherein the cutting edges diverge from a piercing point, the outer face of said knife member, facing inwardly toward said undercut portion, being of convex shape.

7. A can opener comprising an elongated frame i having an upper plate portion and a lower plate portion, a toothed traction wheel journalled on the lower plate portion, manual turning means connected to said traction wheel, a knife guide member connected to the upper plate portion of the frame, said guide member including projections extending inwardly toward the upper plate portion for spacing said guide member with respect to said upper plate portion, said projections being transversely spaced to provide a longitudinal guideway, a knife blade having a longitudinal body formed at its lower end with a cutting edge, said blade being positioned for reciprocation within said guideway, an enlarged portion on the longitudinal body positioned between the cutting edge and the upper end of said body said enlarged portion including an oval opening having an inner camming surface, means for reciprocating said knife blade including a shaft projecting through said opening, said shaft being supported by said frame, a circular member eccentrically positioned for rotation with said shaft, said circular member having an outer camming surface engageable with the inner camming surface for reciprocating said knife blade, and means for rotating said shaft and circular member.

8. A can opener comprising an elongated frame having an upper plate portion and a lower plate portion, a toothed traction wheel journalled on the lower plate portion, manual turning means connected to said traction Wheel, a knife guide member connected to the upper plate portion of the frame, spacer members interposed between said guide member and said upper plate portion for spacing said guide member with respect to said upper plate portion, said spacer members being transversely spaced to provide a longitudinal guideway, a knife blade having a longitudinal body formed at its lower end with a cutting edge, said blade being positioned for reciprocation within said guideway, an enlarged portion on the longitudinal body positioned between the cutting edge and the upper end of said body said enlarged portion including an opening having an inner camming surface, means for reciprocating said knife blade including a shaft projecting through said opening, said shaft being supported by said frame, a circular member eccentrically positioned for rotation with said shaft, said circular member having an outer camming surface engageable with the inner camming surface for reciprocating said knife blade, and means for rotating said shaft and circular member.

9. A can opener as defined in claim 8 wherein the enlarged portion of the knife blade includes lower and upper edges adapted to engage said spacer member to limit the reciprocation of said blade.

CHARLES D. TUCCORI.

No references cited. 

